


They Don't Teach You This in School

by failurebydesign



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-04 16:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5341544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/failurebydesign/pseuds/failurebydesign
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis and Niall are best friends and a girl changes everything -- just not in the way they'd expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Don't Teach You This in School

**Author's Note:**

  * For [firefall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefall/gifts).



> Special thanks to my beta/cheerleader who helped me get this done even when I struggled with it.

When Louis is just nine, his mother packs up their family and moves to a small town just on the outskirts of London. His baby sister, Lottie, doesn't seem phased to leave it all behind, but Louis is less than pleased.

“Mum, why couldn't I stay with my friends? I hate these new kids.” Louis asks one evening after his mother tucks him into bed for the night.

“Have you given any of them a chance?” Jay tousles his hair and gives his forehead a kiss so noisy that he can't help but laugh.

“Do I have to?” Louis wrinkles his nose, but curls into the warmth of his mother's side. If he had his way, he'd quit school entirely and spend his days drinking tea with his mum. “Can't I stay home tomorrow?”

“No, baby, I can't let you do that.” Jay frowns at Louis’ over dramatic sighing. “But I'll make a deal with you. If you can make one friend this week, I'll let you stay home on Friday. Sound good?”

“Yes!” Louis sits up in bed and smiles. “You're the best!” He throws his arms around her neck and hugs tight. Later, when he's warm in his bed, Louis drifts off, dreaming of biscuits and tea with his mum.

Louis doesn't remember exactly how he and Niall started talking, just that when Friday rolls around and his mother tells him he can spend the day with her, he throws a proper fit.

“I've got important things to do, mum!” Louis barely even looks up, stuffing his lunch and a toy dinosaur into his rucksack. It's his favorite toy and he knows Niall is sure to love it.

“Have a good day, love! Be home for dinner!” Jay shouts as he rounds the corner and makes his way out the front door.

Louis runs across the dew covered grass and down the sidewalk until he meets up with Niall. They aren't exactly neighbors, Niall lives in the house behind his, he discovers, when Niall shows off a drawing of the treehouse in his yard. The very one Louis’ been dying to climb in. The next day, he does. He thinks of Niall as his best friend almost immediately. They walk to school together, they sit together in maths and spend lunch time trading snacks. 

Niall makes being away from home enjoyable. They work on maths together, laugh when the teacher tells them to quiet down during reading and always partner up for group projects. After school, they sit in his kitchen and snack on homemade biscuits with his little sister, Lottie. Everything in Louis’ life is perfect and if he's truthful, he can't quite remember why he never wanted to leave Doncaster.

**

“Shut UP, Niall,” Louis groans and pokes at the blonde boy with his toe, who just can't seem to stop laughing. It puts a halt on their game of FIFA, not that it matters to Louis when he's already losing.

“I can't help it! You shoulda saw ‘er face!” Niall doubles over and laughs harder, face red. “First time Perrie’s ever been turned down, ever, I bet.”

Louis doesn't find it funny, not when he's laughing at his expense anyway. It isn't his fault that he's sixteen and a complete stuttering mess in front of someone as confident and beautiful as Perrie Edwards. 

And it isn't like Niall knows just how gone Louis’ been for Perrie over the last three years. How him going quiet when she enters a room isn't just a coincidence. Louis may have mentioned once that she's pretty, he thinks, but so has most of the school. It doesn't make him stand out.

“She really has a thing for Zayn?” Louis pulls a face, though he's not surprised. Zayn is quiet, but he's artistic and mysterious and just so appealing that girls fall all over him. And it makes Louis sick. He's not smooth. His way of flirting is to crack a joke or two. But Perrie, like the rest, have fallen for the dark eyes and bad boy demeanor that Louis can't compete with.

“She kept hinting about some new movie she wanted to see, thinkin’ he'd ask her to go, you know?” Niall starts to laugh again. “And then he doesn't, because honestly who wants to sit through a Nicholas Sparks movie, right?” 

Louis wrinkles his nose. He doesn't admit the countless number of romantic movies he's been forced to sit through, now that his mother remarried and his count of sisters has grown to four. He also doesn't admit that if Perrie asked, he'd have said yes to her.

“Anyway, she finally got fed up. Asked him if he was going to ask her out already.” Niall retrieves his remote and manages to kick the ball past the goal post when Louis is good and distracted. “He just shrugged and left her there. Her face was priceless!”

“You dirty cheater!” Louis tosses his remote to the side, as if he's never used distraction tactics as a way of beating Niall at a video game before. He's annoyed, but maybe now Niall will stop talking about Perrie. 

“So maybe I've got a shot.” Niall grins and rubs his hands together.

“With FIFA? Niall, you suck.” Louis laughs and Niall lunges at him until they're caught up in a wrestling match that is more tickling than anything else. He knows Niall isn't actually talking about soccer, that he's thinking about asking Perrie out on a date. It makes him sick to his stomach. 

“Don't be an arse!” Niall laughs when he manages to break free, cheeks pink from how hard he's been laughing. “I meant with Perrie.”

Louis wants to tell Niall that Perrie wouldn't go for him. He's just as immature and loud as Louis. But Niall’s charming enough and a wave of jealousy washes over. Louis isn't having this conversation. Instead, he grabs the console remote and narrows his eyes. “C’mon, rematch!”

**

The next morning, Louis is ready to run out the front door when his mother stops him. He groans, because he's already late meeting up with Niall for their weekend kick around.

“I need you to watch the girls this morning, dear.” Jay pours a few bowls of cereal, looking tired, but Louis thinks it's just because she's always working weird hours as a midwife.

“But Niall is waiting for--” 

“Louis.” Jay is stern when she pours orange juice into several cups and calls upstairs. “Girls! Come down for breakfast!” She puts her hair up in a messy bun and grabs her purse with a deep sigh. “Niall can come over here. Just make sure the girls get some lunch. I'll be home for dinner.” With that, she presses a kiss to the top of her son’s head and leaves.

“Where's mum?” Lottie says when she wanders into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  
“Just us for a bit, Lots.” Louis sighs and pours some milk into a bowl of Coco Pops. “C’mon, eat up before it gets soggy.”

Lottie does as she's told, though not without requesting Louis sit down and eat with her. “I like it when we eat together.” She pushes up her long pyjama sleeves and gives Louis her best pleading look, but he’s too distracted to notice.

“I'll join you in a minute, okay?” Louis knows his mum is going to kill him if he leaves his sisters alone, so his only option is to call the Horan’s house. Niall’s mother picks up, expectedly.

“Niall just left, dear. Don't worry, he'll come looking for you soon.” She sounds optimistic when she hangs up, but Louis isn't sure. A bad feeling settles in the pit of his stomach and suddenly, he isn't hungry anymore.

When noon comes and goes and Niall still doesn't show up at Louis’ front door, he knows he's in trouble.

Fizzy and the twins have since then woken, and Louis is cleaning up a mess of spilt juice and crisps when his mother finally comes home. His eyes light up when he sees a takeaway bag full of hamburgers. If he can scarf one down fast enough, then maybe he'll still have time to kick the ball around with Niall before curfew. He's just about to grab one when his mother speaks. 

“Louis, get the girls cleaned up, I rented a movie for tonight.” Jay smiles when she holds up a DVD that is downright revolting to Louis. There's a unicorn on the cover, much like the ones that adorn Fizzy’s ridiculous slippers.

“Mum, I'm not watching that!” Louis wrinkles his nose while ripping the wrapper off from around a burger. Though even if it were something about alien robots, he thinks he'd decline. “I'm supposed to meet Niall.”

Jay looks at her son and he thinks that maybe she's going to reprimand him and force him to stay, but she doesn't. She reaches out, places a hand on his shoulder and gives the most sympathetic look. “He's out on a date, dear.”

“He is not!” Louis laughs, because he's probably out getting chips, for sure, but with their regular group of friends. “I'm going to go find him.”

“Honey,” Jay starts, but it's too late. Louis is already halfway out the door.

It's still light outside when Louis runs down the road to their favorite chip shop. Niall isn't there, which is almost a relief. He doesn't think he'd take it well if his best friend were taking someone else to their place. Something in his stomach lurches when he pictures Niall sitting at their preferred table, but not laughing across from him. His mind deceives him and forces Louis to picture Niall holding Perrie’s hand and feeding her chips until he thinks he may not like Perrie very much after all.

Niall isn't at any other chips shop nearby -- Louis obsessively checks, but he isn't kicking a football around in their favorite field, either. He's nowhere to be seen. There's a sense of defeat when Louis starts to walk back home followed by a feeling of triumph when he realizes that not seeing Niall out with Perrie is a good thing. Obviously his mother was imagining things.

Then he sees him.

Louis’ heart jumps when he approaches Niall’s house and sees a tuft of blonde hair that he's gotten to know so well. But he's not alone. Perrie’s there, holding his hand and doing her best not to look too interested. It makes Louis wonder why so many lads, himself included, continue to fall for that.

He's sure they'll kiss. Or at least Niall will try, but it isn't something that Louis wants to see. He wants to yell, pull them apart and tell Perrie to go back to chasing after Zayn. That she'd ruined everything. He's so angry, so hurt that by the time he makes it up to his bedroom, he forgoes turning on the light and crawls beneath his blankets to escape for a few hours.

**

Louis doesn't know how he drags himself out of bed the next morning. School is predictably boring and Niall seems oblivious to Louis’ attempt at giving him the silent treatment.

Lunch is when Louis is the most social. It's hard for him to stay quiet when Ed tells a dirty joke and one of his friends that Louis doesn't really know nearly shoots milk out of his nose. Louis can't help but crack a smile at that.

“Such a waste of milk,” Louis chirps and smirks at the browned haired boy he thinks is named Liam, who blushes in response. Normally he eats lunch with Harry, who's absent in favor of volunteering at a clinic for young, sick tree or something ridiculous. Louis can't remember how Niall put it.

“We're going for chips after school tomorrow.” Niall says when he appears, as if on cue, slides onto the bench next to Louis and reaches for his bag of crisps. “You gonna eat these?”

“You mean you and Perrie?” Louis laughs bitterly and makes a grab for his crisps. “And yes, I'm eating them. They're mine.” He turns away slightly and looks down at the half-eaten bag. There was a time when Louis wouldn't mind, he'd just pass the bag along and tell Niall to finish them. He isn't even sure he wants them himself.

“I meant all of us.” Niall looks dumbfounded.

“Just take them.” Louis shoves the bag of crisps into Niall’s chest when he stands, sure he's broken them, but doesn't care. Niall will still eat them, probably go as far as to feed them to Perrie, Louis blinks, as he catches a glimpse of her walking over. Whatever happens, he does not want to be witness to it. “I have to go,” He mumbles, not bothering to explain. “See you later.”

“You're still coming, right?” Niall shouts after Louis, but he doesn't answer. Of course he isn't going.

He manages to avoid Niall the rest of the day, sitting with his friend Stan in maths and acting busy any time Niall tries to approach him. Not that Niall does often. More often than not, he's standing with Perrie, laughing at something that probably isn't even funny.

Louis begs his mother to let him stay home the next day. It's a Friday, which he more than often refuses to skip -- before Perrie, it was always he and Niall’s favorite day of the week. Now, every trip to the chip shop was a production and Louis was usually left out of a conversation full of blonde hair, baby talk and googly eyed stares. It made him sick. Physically, he thinks.

He thinks he's pretty convincing, too, as Jay doesn't argue, just kisses him on the top of his head and pull the duvet up to his neck.

“My poor boy,” Jay coos when she brings him a hot cuppa and some biscuits in case he's feeling peckish. “Get some sleep, don't you worry.” She closes the door behind herself when she leaves, leaving Louis alone. It's quiet, for now, until his sisters begin to stir.

He can hear the disappointment in Niall’s voice when his mother tells him that Louis’ feeling a bit too poorly to get out of bed today. Louis knows he should feel bad when he peeks out the window and watches Niall walk away, head down, but any guilt he's had is quickly replaced with a triumphant feeling. 

“Take that,” Louis mumbles when he settles back into the cozy center of his bed. He knows staying home will more or less guarantee he's on babysitting duty all weekend, unless he fakes sick through it all, but it doesn't matter. He closes his eyes and drifts off for a few hours, all of his worry fading away with each shallow breath.

It's mid-morning when Louis wakes up again, drags himself into the kitchen and fixes himself a cup of tea. For the first time in ages, the house is quiet and empty, save for Louis. He doesn't remember the last time he's been home alone -- there's always at least one of his sisters nearby, demanding attention.

If Louis were at school, he'd be in maths right about now, pulling faces and making Niall laugh when they're supposed to be working on an assignment together, at least that's how things used to be -- before Perrie. Now, Niall just scribbles hearts in the margins until Louis is tempted to rip the sheet to shreds. 

“Stupid Niall.” Louis decides he doesn't want to think about maths. Or Niall. Or school in general. So he grabs his warm cuppa and settles down in front of the television to watch some awful show his mum can't get enough of. 

He doesn't see why his mother likes to watch a show full of drama, where women fawn over the men and fight over the ones who have the most money. They've never had much money themselves -- Louis can remember nights when he'd sneak out of bed for a cup of water and overheard his mother crying into the phone. It was always something about money, a bill she couldn't pay off or how the man Louis knows is his birth father has been withholding child support yet again. He knows he's met his birth father, obviously, but doesn't remember what his voice sounds like. If he's going to make his mother cry, then Louis refuses to speak with him.

Mark is as good as stepfather come in Louis’ eyes. He works a lot, but there's always food on the table, even if he doesn't look like the young, muscular guy on television who doesn't have to try to get a date with the giggling brunette. 

“Please, like it's that easy.” Louis wrinkles his nose at the television. Great, even that reminds him of what he's lost. He can only really stand a good two more minutes of the show before flipping the television off. 

The rest of the weekend drags on. When Louis’ older sisters spend Saturday at a sleepover, Louis spends some time with his mum and the twins. Until she asks why Louis isn't at Niall’s.

“S’got himself a girlfriend,” He shrugs and doesn't look up. His mother's already given him the painfully awkward birds and bees talk once and doesn't think he can handle a recap.

“it's okay to be jealous, dear.” Jay frowns and when Louis responds with ‘I'm not,’ tilts his chin up. He hates how gentle his mother is when he wants to avoid something, her soft eyes soothing the truth out of him.

“Fine,” He sighs. “I liked her first.”

“What do you like about her? Is she pretty?” Jay looks across the room where Daisy and Phoebe are quietly playing with the same set of blocks Louis loved as a child.

“She is.” Louis’ voice goes soft at the end when he tries to think of all of the reasons why Perrie seemed perfect for him. The first time they met, back before he started to find interest in girls, he found her to be annoying. She'd cling to some of the boys by the park slide and deem one her ‘husband’ for the day. Though all of the other boys found it gross, Louis distinctly remembers wishing she'd pick him just once. She never did.

So Louis teased the boys she followed around and when Perrie still didn't talk to him, promptly pushed her into the mud. Clearly she hasn't forgotten that.

“I know it's hard, but Niall is your best friend.” Jay’s voice remains soft with a hint of concern. “You're still talking to him, aren't you?”

Louis just shrugs. 

He thinks about the few times he's spoken to Perrie, how she just rolls her eyes, flips her hair and instantly looks for someone, anyone else to speak with. How when he was young and new to town, Niall was the first one to sit down next to him and start a conversation while the other children just stared. He can't remember what the conversation was, just that Niall had a welcoming smile and an infectious laugh that he still vows to bring out of him every chance he's given. 

“Oh, Louis.” Jay sighs. “If this girl is that important to you, then you talk to Niall. But just remember that no one should come between best friends.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” Louis says when he stands up and forces a yawn. “Gonna sleep first.” He gives his mum a big hug and glances at the clock. 8:00. “Need a bit more rest.”

When Louis crawls into bed and tries to block all thoughts of Niall from his mind, he finds he can't. He pictures him with Perrie, holding hands and kissing until his ears feel warm with anger. Louis decides that he doesn't like Perrie. Not anymore.

He'd text Niall, if he actually had a phone, just to tell him how angry he is. That if he wants his things, he can come and get them but their friendship is over. 

He thinks about what his mum says. ‘If she's important,’ but the more Louis thinks, Perrie isn't important to him. Niall is. He pictures them together once more and imagines himself running in, but this time, it's different. Louis can see Niall’s confused expression, almost hear his laugh and then what comes next comes as a surprise. He curls up in bed and closes his eyes as that moment replays in his mind over and over again. What he wishes he'd done. Perrie looking confused, Niall laughing and Louis, who's had enough, taking his best friend away from her.

Louis doesn't understand the warm feeling that washes over him when he thinks about taking Niall back from Perrie. Each time he replays the scenario in his head, Perrie somehow becomes more evil, until he pictures her with snakes for her hair. Before he finally falls asleep, he sees himself coming in on a white horse, swooping Niall away and riding off into the sunset.

**

“Louis?” 

There's a knock on his door, then a second, louder than the first. He doesn't remember falling asleep, just that he'd woken up from some strange dream, product of his mum's trashy television love stories. Louis makes a mental note to stop watching those, especially if they involve saving his best friend from his own girlfriend.

The voice calls once more when it registers with him that it's Niall, standing outside of his locked bedroom.

“Go away!” Louis shouts from under a heavy duvet when he recognizes Niall’s voice. There's a strange feeling that's stuck with him since waking up and he doesn't think he can face Niall. Not when he keeps picturing the two of them in some borderline romantic situation.

“I just want to talk.”

“Just leave.” He realizes how mean he sounds, it isn't like Niall knows how stupid he's being, and quickly adds. “I'm ill. Don't want to spread my germs.” Louis throws in an awfully fake cough for good measure, which he knows Niall won't buy. 

It's the same cough he tried out the day they'd both tried to skip school and go meet David Beckham at the mall. Niall’s mother bought it, but Louis was sent off to school, grumbling under his breath. He still hasn't forgiven her for that. It's almost as if Louis is being mocked, when he rolls over in bed and comes face to face with the signed picture Niall had brought him that day with Louis’ name scrawled above Beckham’s signature.

“I know you've been avoiding me,” Niall sighs and for a split second, Louis thinks he's gone until he speaks up again. “Perrie broke up with me anyway.”

Louis sits up. For a split second, he's tempted to open the door, but freezes. He's angry with Niall for coming back, but not until Perrie’s finished with him.

“So that's why you're back? Bored now?”

“No that's…” Niall begins. “Will you just open the door?”

He hesitates at first. The thought of seeing Niall makes his emotions run rampant. He wants to yell at him, shove him away, cry and cling to him all at once. There's a sudden urgent sense of need that he's never experienced before that follows and in the end, makes him open the door. He can't lose Niall again.

“Hey.” Louis looks down at his feet and tugs on the sleeve of his oversized jumper. His hair is probably a mess and he runs a hand through it, suddenly self-conscious. 

“I'm sorry.” Niall is quick to pull Louis into a hug, one that makes him tense up until Niall speaks again. “I missed you.”

“I'm sorry Perrie dumped you.” Louis sighs and turns his face, pressing it into the crook of Niall’s neck. It's warm, welcoming and feels like home, even though they've never hugged quite like this.

“I broke up with her.” Niall laughs a little, even though it isn't funny. “She's not very happy with me.”

“You idiot, why’d you do that?” Louis pulls back and gives Niall an incredulous look. “Did you know I've fancied her for years? Cause I did.”

“No,” Niall merely says. He looks sad and there's something in his eyes that Louis can't read.

“I don't anymore.” Louis shrugs.

“Oh.” Niall chews at his bottom lip nervously. “I really didn't know. I wouldn't have--”

“It's fine.” Louis interrupts and holds his hand up to stop Niall from going on because he thinks he might cry. Niall keeps quiet, but doesn't look back to Louis until he speaks up and pulls him into another tight hug. “C’mere.” 

They stay like that, hugging until Louis isn't angry anymore and Niall is able to look at him again. Louis smiles and is just about to suggest they go play a little football when Niall leans in and brushes their lips together. Niall's lips are soft against his as he kisses him with what feels like great caution. Maybe he's scared -- Louis is left terrified.

Louis freezes up long after Niall pulls away and apologizes, unsure of what to say. The kiss is surprising, but the biggest shock is that Louis doesn't think it’s something he hated. Not that he wants to admit it.

“The hell was that?” Louis laughs, because he's not going to admit he likes kissing his best friend, especially if it's some sick joke. So he plays it off as a prank between two lads and gives Niall a little bump on the shoulder.

Niall, face red and looking humiliated doesn't answer, just runs out the door.

**

The next week is hell. Monday starts off on the wrong foot when Louis sleeps through his alarm and his mother barges in his room to rush him out the door. She makes it very clear that there's no way he's missing another day of school and sends him off with a bagged lunch.

Niall isn't there, which doesn't surprise Louis one bit. You don't simply kiss your best friend and then waltz into school the next day as if it hadn't happened. He sees Perrie, though and it's strange how for the first time in ages, she actually acknowledges his existence. 

“Hey.” She flips her hair and gives a smile as she walks by. It isn't anything groundbreaking, just strange. Louis waves back, perplexed and wondering what had brought that on.

Louis sits with Ed at lunch and tries to laugh at his jokes, but most of them are repeats. So he eats his lunch quickly and excuses himself. If he's going to be bored to death, he might as well do it outside. For the rest of lunch, he watches a group of younger lads play football, sometimes he'd done with Niall so many times before.

He closes his eyes when a gust of wind hits his face and thinks back to the night before, how he'd fucked up and sent Niall running. Was he supposed to kiss back? Louis can almost feel Niall's lips against his and runs his tongue across his bottom lip when his eyes flutter open and he's brought back to reality. He opens his eyes in time to see Liam crouching down to pick up his football. It makes him jump and he coughs with a sputter, hiding his face behind his jumper sleeve.

“Still a bit ill,” Louis lies. It isn't like Liam knows what he was thinking about, anyway.

“Sorry, I'll be on my way!” Liam nods and doesn't give him any suspicious looks, just grabs his football and runs back to his friends.

Louis lets out a puff of air when Liam runs off and shakes his head. There's no way Liam knew what he was thinking. He tries not to think about Niall that way again and is successful in blocking it out for about five minutes, until he has to head inside and back to class.

Lessons are slow and when it comes to maths, Louis wants to slam his head against the table. It's something new that he's not quite grasping and without Niall's help, doesn't think he will. He wishes he could give Niall a call, but then he finds himself thinking about the kissing thing again and it isn't exactly making maths any easier.

“Need some help?” It's Perrie who slides onto Niall's empty seat next to him and looks down at his blank assignment.

“What's the catch?” Louis raises an eyebrow, skeptical. In theory, she shouldn't be so friendly when his best friend just broke up with her.

“No catch.” Perrie moves his worksheet over and gives it a look over. “You look miserable. Can't blame you. This assignment is awful.”

“Yeah.” Louis shrugs. He doesn't think about maths, but instead Perrie and how she's kissed Niall, at least once, anyway. If they've done more than that, he doesn't want to know.

“I know Niall's your best friend. Did he tell you we broke up?” Perrie starts to write out a formula on the paper, but Louis can't concentrate on that when she so casually brings Niall into the conversation. 

“Of course he did, we're best friends,” Louis says, laying emphasis on the ‘best.’ He watches as her delicate handwriting fills the paper, not because he wants to understand, but because he's not able to look her in the eye.

“So then you know why we broke up.” Her soft laugh fills the room as she lifts the pencil from the paper. One of her friends, Jade, turns around and gives her a small smile.

“He didn't tell me. It's not my business.” Louis pulls the worksheet back to himself and pretends to read it, nodding every few lines. Of course, he has no clear understanding of it, it's simply a distraction to keep from having to admitted what happened in his bedroom.

“Oh, well, you should talk to him, then,” Perrie says when she stands up. “Good luck on your assignment.” She walks off with a smile, but it leaves Louis feeling uneasy. 

When it's finally time to go home, Louis realizes that he actually doesn't want to. His mother is working late again and the thought of sitting through another unicorn movie with Lottie doesn't make the walk home any more enjoyable.

His feet stop in front Niall's house, but rather than knock, Louis goes around back. The treehouse is still there. It isn't as fun to climb as Louis remembers, though a bit easier now that his legs have grown stronger. The floorboards are creaky, but he just wants to get up top and see if he can still get a good look into Niall's room.

“I can't believe my own mum sold me out.” It's Niall's voice, clear as day and sudden enough to send Louis toppling back onto the floor. He's thankful to not have fallen out completely.

“Jesus, Niall! Scared the crap out of me.” Louis rights himself and doesn't expect to see Niall in the treehouse and yet there he is, sitting in one corner with a magazine in his hand. Not even a dirty one, but something boring with a golfer on the cover. 

“Um, I don't know how to tell you this, but this is my treehouse.” Niall tosses the magazine aside.

“I grew up in here. S’practically mine, too.” Louis picks up the magazine to get a better look at it and wrinkles his nose. “You skipped school to sit up here and read Golfer's Digest?”

“I don't think it works that way.” Niall rolls his eyes and yanks the magazine back. “There's nothing wrong with golf. Not everyone is into filthy magazines like you.”

Once, and only once, Louis had come across one of Mark's adult magazines and mentioned it in passing to Niall the following day. He still changes the subject whenever Niall brings it up, a bit awkward and embarrassed feeling by it all.

“Perrie told me to talk to you,” Louis blurts out before he realizes what he's saying.

“You talked to Perrie?” Niall widens his eyes in a look of complete shock. “What did she-- she didn't say anything, did she?”

“She didn't mention your planned attempt to snog me, if that's what you're talking about.” Louis shakes his head and it's Niall who looks embarrassed this time.

“I didn't tell her about that part, thank you.” Niall rolls his eyes and maybe Louis shouldn't be amused by Niall talking with Perrie about Louis, but a sense of pride fills his heart.

“But you told her you fancied me?” Louis grins. He doesn't mean it, just that there's a slight possibility that he might fancy Niall as well. It's the weekend sleepovers and inside jokes that he thinks about now, how maybe it's a bit strange to fall asleep on your best friend's shoulder, but it wasn't ever something anyone's corrected. 

Niall opens his arms for a hug but doesn't move forward like the last time. There's a slight look of fear mixed with sadness on his face that brings Louis forward and he wraps his arms tightly around Niall's middle.

“I don't understand it,” Niall says quietly, his face pressed against Louis’ neck.

“It's okay,” is all Louis says back. If he's being honest, he doesn't either. He stays, comfortable against Niall's side for what feels like forever until it starts to rain and Niall lifts his head.

“Wanna go watch a movie?”

“Alright, yeah.”

**

The rest of the week isn't all that bad, at least not to start. Louis meets Niall at his house every morning, as usual, but rather than chase each other down the street, they hold hands. It's awkward at first, but they find that when they walk into school and everyone turns their heads that they quite like the attention.

They don't act overly romantic or feed each other food during lunch, but Niall willingly shares his snack cake with Louis so Harry declares that it has to be true love.

Perrie gives them a knowing smile when they're sitting in maths and goofing off, though that's nothing new.

Thursday, everything goes downhill. Louis plans to spend dinner at Niall's and they've both concocted a plan to allow a mid-week sleepover as long as they do a bit of school work in between playing football. They take their time walking home, stopping to pick up some sweets for after dinner as a peace offering for Niall's mother. 

Louis already told his own mother that he'd be heading to Niall's, but decides to stop home first to grab his football. He makes it to the front door when he hears the yelling inside and lets his hand drop. It isn't the first time Louis’ heard his mum arguing with Mark, but it's definitely the worst. He can't make out everything, just that the word ‘leave’ is brought up far too many times for his liking.

“Hurry up!” Niall shouts from the corner and Louis decides he doesn't need his football. They'll just play FIFA. 

He's quiet during dinner, even though it's one of his favorites. Niall's mother makes a stew with tons of vegetables and Louis stuffs himself until he's sure he'll burst, knowing well if he doesn't, Mrs. Horan will just load up his plate until he rubs his full stomach.

When they're alone and Niall sets up the xbox, Louis decides it's no better time than now. Niall is messing with the controller when Louis tugs his arm and Niall spins around with a confused laugh.

“Louis, what?”

Louis leans in and slots his mouth against Niall's, kissing his lips slowly until he's kissing back. There's no reason to rush -- Louis takes his time, especially once he's sure Niall isn't going to pull away.

Niall smiles, Louis can feel it as it happens, and surprises him by slipping his tongue into his mouth. The video game music plays in the background, prompting them to start a new game, but they both ignore it, favoring a bit of a snog instead.

It's a nice distraction -- by the time they break apart, Louis’ forgotten why he was upset in the first place.

It doesn't take much to convince his mum to let him stay the night at Niall's. Her voice is tired over the phone but she agrees quickly, for the first time ever, that a mid-week sleepover is actually a great idea. 

Niall's mum is quiet the rest of the night, but makes sure they have plenty of snacks. She doesn't even get stern when it's well past their curfew and they're both laughing instead of fast asleep.

It's warm and comforting in Niall's room. Louis’ always loved spending the night. But things are different when he stares up at the ceiling from his spot on the floor. 

“Hey Niall?” Louis sits up and rubs at his arms, body running cold. It's dark in the room, but he knows Niall is still awake by the rustle of blankets.

“Yeah?”

“Can't sleep.”

“Me neither,” Niall laughs and sits up. Louis can tell by the silhouette made in front of the small window. “Come on up.”

He doesn't have to ask twice. Louis grabs his pillow and crawls across the bed to sit next to Niall. It was easier when they were younger, but since then they've outgrew the small bed and Louis often took to the floor. Louis is about to ask if there's any room for him to sleep up there when Niall wraps his arms around his middle for a cuddle.

“G’night, Lou,” Niall says, suddenly sounding sleepy.

Louis snuggles himself into Niall's chest and closes his eyes. He doesn't sleep, but rather listens to the noise his heart makes all night long.

**

The next day, Louis is exhausted. He completely forgets to bring anything for lunch, not that it matters. When it comes time to eat, he rests his head on the table and is out before Niall can offer him part of his sandwich.

To make matters worse, he loses his homework somewhere between Niall's and maths which ends up being his breaking point. Louis doesn't mean to call his teacher a twat -- it slips out, but lands him enough trouble for at least the next week. He considers not even telling his mum, but he knows she'll be getting a call before he even makes it home.

“Louis,” Jay sighs when he walks in. She looks as about exhausted as he feels and braces himself for the yelling that's sure to come.

“Mum, I can explain.”

“Sit. Down.” She motions towards the chair, voice stern. Louis knows better than to test her and sits immediately. He looks down at his hands, ready to be told he's not seeing Niall for at least a week -- the worst punishment. “You're staying at Niall's again tonight. Go pack yourself some clothing.” Jay gives a heavy sigh. “Unless you want to stay with your sisters and your nan.”

“No,” Louis says as he slowly rises to his feet. “Niall's is fine.” He pushes in the chair and stands awkwardly, wondering if his school had simply forgotten to call, though she's angry, visibly, and he can't tell why. It's when she begins to cry.

“Why didn't you tell me you heard me and Mark shouting?” Jay pulls Louis into a suffocating hug that only makes her cry harder. “My poor boy, acting out in school because of me.”

“Mum,” Louis frowns, but does his best to comfort her. “It's okay, people fight. We'll be okay.”

“Oh, baby, it's not that easy.” She sniffles, a sad attempt to stop her tears, stroking Louis’ hair. “Sometimes things can't be fixed. I'm telling you because you're old enough to understand. It's nothing you kids did.”

Louis furrows his brows at the roundabout way his mum speaks. She doesn't outright say the world ‘divorce,’ but he knows that's where they're headed. It's hard to not feel like it's his fault when he's become so wrapped up in spending his free time with Niall. Would Mark still be unhappy if Louis had been around more? If anyone knows how hard it is to be surrounded by a house full of girls, it's Louis.

They're silent, hugging for a few moments until Jay is able to compose herself. Louis puts on his best smile, despite feeling as if his world is ending.

“Are you going to be okay?” Louis asks his mum when he separates from the hug.

“I will. I've got you, don't I?” She smiles, tearfully and that's when Louis can't help but begin to cry.

**

“Louis, hello, anyone in there?” Niall waves his hand in front of his face, but he barely flinches.

It's a typical rainy day with no signs of it stopping, forcing them to remain indoors for the majority of their Saturday. Louis suggested football anyway, but Niall never liked playing in the mud.

Mark moved out the day prior and Louis knows full well the whole neighborhood watched while peering from behind their curtains. Nothing stays secret for very long where he lives.

Niall tries his best to appease Louis, warming up a plate of fat, gooey biscuits, but Louis turns his nose up.

“I thought we were okay,” Niall finally says after hours of Louis’ silence.

“It's not always about you, Niall,” he snaps. All Louis wants is to go home, curl up in his bed and refuse to move until his parents reconcile. But he can't. They won't. 

He spends the night at Niall's, against his better judgement, because there's worse things than curling up in someone else's arms at night. Home is just a constant reminder of what he doesn't have anymore.

A clap of thunder and a nightmare wake him up, heart racing sometime in the middle of the night. Niall is there to hold him through his shaking from the startling storm and a second breakdown.

He kisses Louis and tells him how great he is -- though he doesn't need his ego stroked, it helps. Both know they shouldn't actually fall asleep tangled together, not when they haven't told their parents they've been sneaking off to snog. Louis promises he'll move back to the floor by morning, he's just so tired.

Louis is warm and peaceful come morning, his face pressed into the crook of Niall's neck. He knows somewhere in the back of his mind he was supposed to move, but it's too late now to make a difference. Niall shifts slightly and Louis slips his arm around his middle to cuddle up for just a few more minutes.

He presses a sleepy kiss to the back of Niall's neck when the sound of someone clearing their throat breaks the silence.

“Mum?” Niall sits up suddenly, face going white. Louis, on the other hand, freezes. He doesn't know what's going to happen, just that they're about to get a lecture.

“Meet me downstairs in ten minutes,” Mrs. Horan says softly and shuts the door when she leaves.

“Shit,” Louis mumbles into the pillow.

Niall moves slowly when he gets dressed, keeping the talk to a minimum. Louis tries to tell him things will be okay, but he's not so sure he believes himself.

Louis ends up going downstairs first, coming face to face with the last person he expects to see -- his mother.

“Now, is there something you boys want to tell us?” Jay looks to her son, eyebrows furrowed. She looks worried, mostly, not angry like Louis had expected.

“I just kind of, I dunno, fancy Niall a bit?” Louis glances over to Niall, whose cheeks are pink despite his not making eye contact with anyone.

“Niall?” His mother questions.

“We haven't done anything, just fell asleep, I promise!” Niall looks like he's going to be sick all over the carpet and Louis nods -- it's exactly how he feels.

“If you two are in a relationship, I want you to know that we'll support you,” Jay begins. “But you have to be honest with us. You know we'll love you boys no matter what.” She strokes Louis’ hair and gives him a small smile.

“We're not dating, mum,” Louis groans. It isn't anything they've discussed, but the look on Niall's face says otherwise. 

“Oh,” Niall whispers.

“You thought --” Louis begins. He doesn't know what all of this means, if he's gay now and can't like women anymore or if he's not Niall's best friend now that they've kissed. It doesn't sound like a bad idea, to be Niall's boyfriend, but the thought of it terrifies him.

“We're not,” Niall says, suddenly sounding angry. “Can we drop it now?”

His mother nods and Jay, who frowns, agrees it's best to leave them to figure things out for themselves. Once both mothers leave, things are awkward between them.

“I'm sorry?” Louis finally says when Niall won't even acknowledge him.

“Why did you even kiss me?” Niall snaps.

Louis doesn't know why, just that it felt right. He doesn't feel gay, whatever that means, and has no desire to go out and see how many boys he can kiss. It's hard to explain when these feelings are new and Niall is so important to him.

“I don't know,” Louis whispers and decides it's best to leave Niall be. He pulls him into a hug, but Niall freezes up and doesn't react. Just like that, it's over before it started.

**

This time, it's Niall who avoids Louis. It's a long weekend that Louis spends mostly indoors, watching his sisters. He calls over to Niall's house, but Mrs. Horan gently lets him know that Niall doesn't want to talk. 

Lottie cuddles up with Louis on the couch for awhile, and it helps, until she asks where Niall is.

“We're not friends anymore, Lots,” Louis says sadly, because if Niall isn't speaking to him, that's one more person who's walked out of his life. 

“Why?” She's innocent in her asking.

“Just aren't.” He doesn't want to explain something so complicated to his ten year old sister when there's no way she could understand. 

“But you love Niall, Lou.” 

Louis doesn't say anything back, just kisses the top of his sister's head. He yells to his mother, who busies herself with supper, that he'll be right back. 

It's getting dark, but Louis still knows the way through his yard and over the fence that brings him right to Niall's treehouse. He climbs up for the second time in what seems like forever, but this time, it's empty.

A light glow comes from Niall's bedroom. He's home, so maybe Louis’ plan will work. It's been years since he's last snuck out to call Niall, the tree having aged considerably since. He climbs out the treehouse window and balances himself on the thick branch he could so easily climb when he was younger. 

Louis whistles, a single, distinct note and waits, but nothing happens. So he does it again. Still nothing. He's about to give up, go home and begin his life without Niall when the curtain opens, then the window.

“Louis, go home.” Niall rolls his eyes. It's the first time he's looked at Louis in weeks, though, and Louis’ stomach does this fluttery thing that makes him believe Lottie’s right.

“Can't.”

“What, gonna stay up there all night?” A frown crosses Niall's face that makes Louis consider it.

“If I have to.”

Niall shakes his head. It's getting cold, but Louis doesn't care. He'll sleep in the rain if it means Niall forgives him.

“Go home, it's going to rain soon,” Niall sighs.

“My father walked out of my life and then Mark,” Louis says with a bitter laugh. “Maybe my father didn't love me, I don't know, but Mark did and he's gone now. But you're still here, Niall. I'm not letting you leave, too.” He blinks a few times, not expecting those words to come out of his mouth and trying his best not to cry in front of Niall. 

Niall takes a step back and Louis expects him to close the curtains, but he doesn't. He comes back into view and slips out on to the roof. 

“Watch out,” Niall instructs and once Louis is back in the treehouse, climbs into the tree and follows.

“Look,” Louis begins and he starts to shake, not knowing where to start. “I don't know what this means or what we are.”

“We're nothing, remember?” Niall starts to walk across the floor, towards Louis.

“Yeah,” Louis replies, moving in all the same.

When they meet in the middle, so do their hands and eventually, mouths.


End file.
